The Shrink
by Paige Cruz
Summary: He wants more game, she wants more time. She's feeling neglected, he's missing her. I guess it's about time that they go visit the shrink. Longshot.


**I haven't been writing in a while, and this is my greatest relief from writer's block yet.**

**Disclaimer: the name's Higuchi Tachibana-sama, and it's hers. And the upcoming name of a school as you read further on, totally fictional.**

* * *

The Shrink

A Gakuen Alice Fan Fiction

Long shot

* * *

Have you ever had those days when you've got the best of both worlds, but you're not happy? When you've got friends who care, a sweet mother who looks after you, and the boy of your dreams, you just can't help but feel so damn wrong.

Mikan was having one of those days.

* * *

Natsume's eyes bore into the screen; Alice Academy had been playing against Maryland High for the 2009 Summer World Cup, and Alice had just made goal. A roar of applause boomed from the audience, and the fire Alice leaned closer to the television.

A much neglected Mikan sat across the loveseat from him. Her long, silky brown tresses were a tangled mess, chocolate eyes narrowed in slits, and plastered on her face, a grim scowl in place of her usual warm beaming. Her face was red, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she glared at the ignorant boy at the side.

He was seated casually in his chair, jet black locks in its usual, spiky disarray, his eyes an enticing sea of scarlet. He wore a simply button up shirt and jeans, remote in hand, while watching Alice players kick Maryland butt at the field.

It was a beautiful day, perfect for some sunbathing or perhaps, a rather romantic trip to the park, but the couple was situated at their apartment, the former, sinking deeper into his soccer realm, while the latter, well, she's had enough of her share of kickball twenty-four seven, and it looked like she couldn't hold out for much longer.

Mikan's left eye twitched hysterically as she watched her boyfriend's clear obsession over the game. He was totally absorbed, and the poor girl mentally cursed.

'_He forgot our anniversary…_' She muttered.

She scowled darkly, watching from the sidelines as the game continued. _"–number 2 had just passed the ball to number 10 – who dodged a steal from midfielder 7 and kicked it to number 19. Time is running out, only ten seconds on the clock, as number 22 blocks his path, followed by numero uno, and 19 is cornered. Oh, wait – 19 kicks the ball! And it goes to…_"

'_…and to think I actually got him that official autographed soccer ball from last year's game…_' she hissed, swallowing the threatening string of profanities down her throat. Natsume seemed oblivious to his girlfriend's fit.

"_-lashed it all out, goal keeper missed and goal! Alice Academy had won the Summer Cup!_" the exaggerated narration continued as confetti scattered the field and the crowds cheered with a cry of enthusiasm.

Mikan sighed in relief; at last, the game – which had lasted for about two and a half hours non-stop without any commercial breaks – had finally ended! But Natsume had taken the remote and switched to Sports Tube for the simultaneous replay. Mikan's response was priceless.

The exasperated girl marched to the TV set and yanked off the plug. The video disappeared in the blink of an eye and she smirked in triumph. Then she stood there, breathing heavily as she tried to settle her temper. '_Serves you right, you pig headed arse. That ought to teach you a lesso–_'

"_–Alice makes the goal!_" Cheers sounded from the delicate Blackberry in Natsume's palm. His eyes were glued to the mini screen. Mikan cracked.

"THAT"S IT!"

She lunged after him, grabbing the Blackberry and tossing it to the garbage before proceeding to strangle him. He dodged her clutches, untangling himself from her rough hold and walked fluidly to the garbage can, picking out scraps from his gadget, as if nothing ever happened.

The girl screamed and attacked him from behind. He toppled over and the Blackberry flew across the room and into a pile of clothes.

The two wrestled on, Mikan in hysterics as Natsume held her away. She screamed at the top of her lungs, making Natsume wince from the noise. Her nails dug into his back, but he grabbed hold of her flailing wrists and finally, pinned her down.

He brought on the glaring contest, and Mikan had released her maximum pout, eyebrows impossibly arched and her forehead creased to an extent. Natsume's signature smirk turned into a frown, his bold eyes just staring at her as if they had supernatural powers that could pierce through her skull, and he tightened his hold on her wrists.

Mikan was the first to crack.

"Let me go." She muttered through clenched teeth.

"…"

"I said, let me go." Exhaling, she explained.

Smirking, "I heard you." Shooting back a glare, he added, "What the hell is your problem?"

"We need to talk." She said impatiently, looking away from his gaze.

"You could've done that without all the whining and pouncing but no…" He rolled his eyes. Her temper rose again.

"If you weren't so friggin' brainwashed from watching soccer all day–"

"Me, brainwashed? Get that airhead of yours fixed, polka dots, I was just watching a simple soccer game when you suddenly–"

"Oh really, now? Then please, Mr. I-know-everything-and-my-girlfriend-is-an-airhead, can you explain how you've obviously been drooling over number nineteen–" The knob at the front door had turned and the door screeched open, unnoticed by the bantering duo. "–I mean, come on, it was as if you were in lust with him!"

Natsume scoffed at her statement, a face of disgust gracing his handsome features. "Are you questioning my sexuality?"

"What does it look like to you?" she spat. "Anyway, the point is-"

"That my girlfriend is an escapee from the mental asylum and now she's physically assaulting me!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Then how would you explain this?" He pulled off his shirt to point at the scratches at his back. "Tell me, when was the last time you used a chainsaw?"

"Why the hell would I be using a chainsaw?"

"I figured you'd need that to cut your killer nails!"

"You're the stupid arse who won't get off!" she hissed. "You even forgot our anniversary!"

"What anniversary?"

"Well, it's nothing now!"

"Then what's the point?"

"There is no point!"

"You little–"

"Natsume?"

"Idiot."

Their heads turned simultaneously at the direction of the speaker–err, speakers. There, Ruka stood, his mouth hanging open. The paper bag full of groceries that he had been carrying had scattered on the ground, and his frightened pet rabbit was scampering away from the scene. Behind him, Hotaru Imai was snapping a few quick pictures of the two in their position with her latest double flash camera before stopping to glare at them. A look of disapproval marred her face.

And it was very quiet.

.

.

.

.

.

"Hota–"

"Hyuuga." Hotaru spoke, her voice low.

The boy raised an eyebrow to the stoic inventor. She smirked in reply. "Remove yourself from that idiot before I make you." She said icily. She then sent him a piercing look that could have probably meant, "And don't you dare make me repeat myself."

Natsume mechanically retracted, ignoring the threat with a shrug. The idiot in question hastily sat up, her eyes flashing from Hotaru to Ruka and back to Natsume. She sneered at him with all the venom she could muster.

"I'm not done with you yet, bastard…" she said. He clicked his tongue and turned on his heel towards his room.

"Later, polka dots." And with that, he disappeared through the hallway, leaving a fuming brunette to her misery.

Mikan sat there, looking on the verge to tears. She held them back desperately, breathing hastily as she flexed her knuckles.

"Are you alright, Sakura-san…" the blonde approached her, putting a reassuring hand to her shoulder. Mikan just smiled weakly. "Yeah… I mean," she looked at him, and turned away, her gaze lingering at the empty hallway. "I don't know. _We're not._"

She smiled sadly, and Ruka held his breath. Hotaru walked to her best friend's side and handed her a piece of paper.

Puzzled, "What's this?"

"Numbers to one of the best shrinks in Japan- my connections. You have a problem." She replied.

"Me?" She tilted her head to the side, a pout on her mouth.

"No," she rolled her eyes, "Both of you."

* * *

"Where the hell do you think you're taking me?"

Natsume was outraged. The following morning after their little fight, he was surprised to have woken up being shoved into the bathroom to change, with the banshee nullifier screaming at him through the door to hurry. Grunting he changed and opened the door, receiving an earful.

Then she started complaining about his hair, and took out a comb to brush away the tangles. He leaned away from her reach and trudged out the door. She quickly followed, bickering in blast mode. She nagged him to follow her, or else he would face the dire consequences of her best friend aka the devil.

She had managed to talk her way across the street and two overpasses later, and Natsume had had a bout of irritation ready to explode.

"We're going to see someone special, and get that pig head of yours fixed!" she responded, pulling him roughly by the sleeve. He pried her nails off, refusing to be dragged around by a maniac in public. He said the exact same thing, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty when he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes.

"Don't you even care if I'm doing this for you?" she snapped.

"Well, if you just cared to tell me where on earth we're going, unless it's the registration office to the seventh circle of hell, then be my guest!" he retorted equally. She groaned through clenched teeth, and then relaxed a bit.

"We're going to see someone…" she said calmly. "To… help us." She added, biting her lip as she looked at the ground.

"Help? What do we need help for…" He trailed off, noticing the look on her face. '_Crap_.'

She returned his gaze and looked at him straight in the eye. He did the same, not breaking away.

"Promise me something."

"It depends on the promise."

She hesitated, taking hold of his hand before speaking, "Promise me you'll cooperate." Her lower lip jutted out, her eyes watery as she eyed him with a pleading look that could make anyone want to jump her. Natsume looked away. In fact, he did so every time she used that look on him.

"Fine." Came his murmured reply.

A smile beamed from her lips, her dimples marring her face as her eyes lit up. "Thanks." She said.

"So…" he said as they resumed walking. "From my previous question, where are we going?" he eyed her from his peripherals. She just grinned.

"You'll see."

And together, they walked, hand in hand to the so-called special place.

* * *

Blond hair ruffled and lavender eyes twinkled as she–he twirled around his office, stopping abruptly but gracefully to admire the line of delicately framed diplomas on his desk and read the words out loud.

"This certificate of graduation is awarded to me, _Narumi Anjo_," He paused slightly at his name and gasped in exaggeration before continuing, "for having completed the four-year requirement course for advanced Alice psychology!" He ended it with a curtsey and picked up another frame.

"This award of Dedication is given to…" he curled his lips, "_Narumi Anjo_, elementary homeroom and faculty of Gakuen Alice, for more than ten years of service in this private institution!" a giddy laugh escaped his lips, admiring the print and the golden seal of the academy. He reminisced bitter times in that school, seeing what his beloved students were going through, but all that changed when his prized student came along… A certain, overly-cheerful brunette.

_'Good times…_' He sighed contentedly, flipping his hair as he straightened the framed certificates into neat rows.

Just then, the silver intercom on his desk buzzed, his secretary called.

"Yes~?" He singsonged. His equally cheerful secretary replied in sync melody, "_You have some clients, Narumi-sensei!_" The said person straightened up and coughed.

"And who might it be, Sara-san?"

"_Hold on_," and with a few muffled voices and a clear mutter of '_put a sock in it'_, "_They're from Imai. Imai Hotaru? Yes, her. Ms. Imai has informed me beforehand that she scheduled an appointment for them. She told me that they were your former students – a Sakura Mikan-san and a Hyuuga Hatsuma-kun– 'it's Natsume.'–Pardon me, Natsume-kun. Shall I let them in?_"

Narumi smiled slyly as he spoke into the intercom, "Wonderful. Send them in!"

"I can't believe we're doing this." Natsume growled darkly as his girlfriend pouted at him, but she ignored him, instead casting a sweet smile at the red-head secretary who had been eyeing them curiously. She waved back with a grin, and Mikan continued to drag Natsume into the office.

"Don't be such a baby, Natsume. Besides," she looked at him endearingly, "you promised."

"Promise broken. I'm heading back."

"Oh no, you aren't!" She produced a pair of stainless steel handcuffs and locked them up. "You aren't getting away that easily! These are Alice-proof." She stuck her tongue out, murmuring a silent, "Brilliant Hotaru!"

Natsume sighed and picked her up, throwing her over his back. "No!" She screamed as he started walking. "Natsume, you promised!"

He stopped abruptly.

"Don't you ever shut up?"

"I…" Mikan hesitated. "We have a problem, Natsume." She said, and Natsume sighed. "Well, I can't see the reason why we have to do this." He had set her down by this time.

"We're just seeking professional help, Natsume, and all I really need right now is your cooperation and some presence of mind so please... don't make this any harder for the two of us."

"I'm…" he whispered. "You're what?"

He sighed again. "I'm only doing this for us." He gulped. Mikan's eyes softened and she nodded her head.

He turned around and they approached the door.

* * *

"My, my, what a lovely surrrprise!"

There was a loud thud, and Natsume's jaw had dropped at an impossible height. His eyes twitched, as he stared at the man before him. Mikan was holding up much better, and she couldn't help the sunny smile that was creeping up at her lips. The man in question bounced forward to greet them.

"Oh, my Mikan-chan! My, you have grown quite a lot, haven't you?" He leaned forward to hug his former student, and she gladly returned the gesture with a familiar, friendly squeeze. "Narumi-sensei!" She squealed. A snarl could be heard in the background, and the temperature rose to ninety degrees. Mikan quickly nullified the heat with a wave of her hand.

Unwavering, Narumi pulled away from the cheerful girl and made a move to hug Natsume as well, but the disgusted boy dodged his reach and settled in a leather seat with his gaze locked at Mikan, all the while sending her desperate signals.

'_You call this professional?_'

Mikan rolled her eyes at that and apologized. "You know how he is, sensei. Never courteous, or polite, or-"

"That's okay, Mikan-chan. I remember Natsume-kun very well! But let me ask you one thing: how may I be able to help you adorable little lovebirds today?" He sang, ushering Mikan to a seat opposite Natsume.

"Well," She seemed hesitant and bit her lip. "We've just entered a rough road in our relationship, if you know what I mean." She laughed. "He seems distant nowadays, even when he's just right in front of me." She pouted at him. "I miss him."

"I see. And Natsume-kun, do you have any say on this?" Narumi patted Mikan's shoulder and waited for the aforementioned boy's answer. He rolled his eyes.

"How much is this going to cost?" "_Natsume!"_

"It's okay, Mikan. Natsume, please answer the question." He smiled.

With a grunt, he whispered, "I'm with you almost every single day, aren't I?" He looked up at the girl. She crossed her legs and averted her gaze.

"That may be true, but you're head's always up in the clouds… always thinking of the game, never the prize." She said, a forlorn look in her features.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"I'm talking about your obsession for soccer and your neglecting me!" she gritted her teeth angrily and breathed in.

"I don't see the connection." Natsume muttered. Narumi chuckled lightly and sat down, putting a hand to his forehead. He glanced at the two who were now looking away from each other. The atmosphere began to tense, and he could feel the sweat trickling down his back at the awkward situation.

He shook his head and blinked twice before whispering, "This is going to be a long long day."

* * *

"Now this is what I want you to do."

Narumi picked up a notepad and pen, scribbling away as he turned on his heel. He faced the girl's direction. "Mikan-chan, I want you to elaborate on what's missing in your relationship. Why exactly do you miss Natsume-kun, when in fact, he's looking you in the face right now?" He held a finger, telling her not to answer yet, and proceeded to look at Natsume.

"And Natsume-kun, I want you to look Mikan-chan in the eye and say absolutely nothing throughout this exercise. Clear?" He finished with a wink. Mikan grinned, and Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Feel free to vent out your feelings, okay, Mikan-chan?" Narumi smiled and took a seat. The nullifier just nodded, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Without opening her eyes, "Natsume?" He grunted in reply, and she frowned. "Do you remember what yesterday was?" she asked calmly.

No answer.

"Oh, and Natsume-kun, if Mikan-chan asks a question that is directed at you, please do answer, okay?" Narumi bickered, scratching his head before turning back to Mikan. "Continue, Mikan-chan."

She swallowed before saying, "Do you remember what yesterday was?" she repeated, her voice just a small whisper.

"Sunday?" he answered bluntly. Mikan shook her head. "It was our fifth anniversary." She stated as-a-matter-of-fact.

"_And?_" the boy asked, seeing no point in it. Mikan's lips trembled for a fraction of a second, before her nostrils flared and she grimaced. "What do you mean, _'and_'?" she breathed.

"You forgot our _anniversary_! It's a very important occasion, Natsume, and it means a lot to me!" she shouted, clutching madly at her armrest. "You've always been supportive of me before, and you've always remembered before!" she lowered her voice. "Why can't you now?"

Natsume had kept silent, all the while staring at her as she slowly fell apart. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. For once, he was speechless, and didn't know what to say.

"See what I mean?" her voice broke his reverie, and he looked back at her. "You're just sitting there, in front of me, within my reach, but you're not really there!" she cried. "Your mind's elsewhere, wandering God knows where. You're so far away!" she looked at her feet, shifting uncomfortably. She hiccupped and bit her lip in a desperate need to hold back her tears.

"I think I'm done elaborating, Narumi-sensei." She sobbed. Narumi whistled wistfully, and clapped his hands twice.

"Okay, on to the next exercise!"

"What, there's more?" "_Natsume…_"

* * *

Mikan and Natsume sat, cross-legged on the floor, as Narumi circled them speculatively. He tapped his shoes in rhythmic motion, and instructed the two to close their eyes and calm their thoughts. "Deep breathing, everybody!" He said.

"Um… Narumi-sensei?" Mikan's voice was only a tad whisper, but the former teacher got the message. She was curious.

"Yes, Mikan-chan? Anything the matter?"

"No," she hesitated, "…but, I have a question." Narumi nodded. "Go ahead."

"How will this help? This… breathing exercise, I mean." Her voice was still wavering from the previous '_confession_', and her stance seemed uncomfortable.

"Hmm… think about it as finding your happy place. Clear your thoughts of any other matter, like school, shopping, whatever. I need you to focus one hundred percent on this!" he explained. "It will help you to think about the main issue here. Now, I want you two to think of the happy times you've spent together. I believe that will change the mood."

The girl nodded, and relaxed. She tried to evade the fact that she was under the scrutiny of Narumi-sensei and thought of her favorite holidays spent with Natsume.

_She remembered last Christmas Eve; it was five minutes to midnight, when she handed him a box in polka-dotted gift wrap. He sent her a smirk and tore away the wrapper, and raised an eyebrow at the sweatshirt print that screamed, "I have box ears!" He looked up to see her in a giggling fit on the floor, clutching at her sides as tears slid down her cheeks. He didn't find it funny at all. But he smirked in amusement and shrugged before pulling her up._

_She was still tittering, her shrill voice filling the room with mock laughter. He silenced her with a finger to the lips, and raised a sprig of leaves to her head._

_'Mistletoe?' she thought, and her eyes widened; Natsume had bent down to claim her lips, just as the clock tolled midnight._

_His Christmas gift._

A warm blush crept up her face, and she shook her head nervously. She heard a chuckle, and opened her eyes to see Natsume watching her. She pouted.

"I'm still mad at you." She declared. He shrugged, but cast a worried glance at her. Narumi sighed lightly and smiled.

"Deep breathing!"

* * *

The pheromone Alice was rummaging through his drawers, humming happy tunes as he caught sight of what he was looking for. He turned his heel and presented a stack of cards. "This is my favorite part!"

He pulled a chair in front of the couple and settled in. "Now, when I hold a card up, I want you to say one word, whatever comes into your mind first, when you look at the image printed on it, okay? Mikan goes first, and then Natsume will answer after." He grinned before pulling up the top card.

It was a blotchy ink print, rounded with holes around it – much like Swiss cheese. Mikan's eyes lit up as she chirped, "Cookie!"

"Very good, Mikan-chan. Natsume?"

"Ink."

He nodded, and pulled out the next card.

"Butterfly."

"Ink."

"Good. Now I won't pause in between cards this time, so try to keep up, okay?" Narumi smiled before continuing.

"House."

"Ink."

"Bird."

"Ink."

"Tarantula."

"Ink."

The man scratched his head. "Natsume-kun, are you sure that's the only word you can think of?" he said.

"All I see is ink on a white card. Deal with it." He retorted bluntly. "Ah, but Natsume-kun, you have to look at whatever object the ink represents, okay? Try to expand beyond reality." His violet eyes twinkled as he pulled up the next card.

"Bunny."

"Fire."

"Girl."

"Blood."

"Boy."

"More blood."

"You can't repeat your answers." The nullifier complained. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Red, then."

"But it's black!"

"He said to 'expand beyond reality', polka dots."

"Urgh. Love."

"Ink again."

"Hey!"

"I think that's enough of this exercise! We're making great progress everyone. Good job!" Narumi shot up before anything could happen. He walked toward a door and entered another room, calling out to them. "Who's hungry?" He chirped.

* * *

The blonde approached the vending machine, inserting some coins into the slot before pressing some numbers to his desired caffeinated beverage. He took his cup of fresh, hot latte and blew at the steam. He watched as it swirled back upwards, and he took a sip.

His mind was far away right now, in an effort to escape the troubles of his life. He had made several mistakes in his teaching days in Alice Academy. He had lied to his precious students countless of times, breaking promises to protect them and what not, and watched them helplessly from the sidelines as they suffered from Persona, and the mere propositions of the elementary school principal.

It was when he heard that his dear student, a certain favorite brunette, was being transferred into the dangerous ability class and was in the hands of the principal, he knew he had to take a stand.

And so he broke the rules of the academy and took her away. He was sure that she would be safe outside the academy. She would be away from all the lies and dangers that lurked and tried to hurt her. He just wanted to protect her. And he had found the right man for the job.

The sound of the door opening interrupted his trail of thought, and he glanced around to meet red eyes, just staring intently at him as he struggled to find his voice.

"Oh, Natsume-kun, you startled me there." Narumi bit out, stepping aside so Natsume could use the vending machine. "Are you two hungry?"

"Hn." He grunted. The pheromone Alice sighed nervously before turning back to his office. "Break time ends in a few. Prepare yourselves for your next task!" he sang as he entered the room.

Natsume shook his head before looking back at the scanty food choice. '_Crazy teacher_.' He murmured.

"This game is called, 'Catch me!' It will exercise your commitment skills and test your trust for each other." The blonde teacher-turned-psychologist exclaimed. "I'm sure you're familiar with this game, but I think it's good to refresh your memories!" He said with a rekindled spirit.

"Now, Natsume-kun will stand here, and Mikan-chan, stay in front of Natsume-kun. Be sure to be at least a meter apart, okay?" He said, positioning the two into place. "Whenever you're ready, Mikan-chan, you'll shout 'Catch me!' and allow yourself to fall backwards! Don't worry about hurting your back, because since you trust Natsume, you will land right into his arms!" He swooned and jittered excitedly. "Are you two ready?"

Mikan clenched her fists and stiffened, as Natsume held out his arms and rolled his eyes. "On the count of three, okay?" Narumi reminded. The girl nodded and gulped. _'Oh God… I'm going to die. You better catch me, you chauvinist pig!_' she groaned.

"Natsume."

"Hn?"

"I… trust you." She spoke softly.

"Thank you?" she rolled her eyes – the nerve of that guy.

"Okay! One, two," Narumi clamped his hands together. "three!"

"C-catch me!" Mikan yelled, and closed her eyes.

It was as if the world had focused all its gravity on her, and the force was pulling her down slowly. Everything seemed like a blur, as she could barely make out of the glaring light on the ceiling or Narumi-sensei's muffled cheers from the background. Her blood was pulsing heavily in her veins, and she was surprised at the exhilarating feeling of an adrenaline rush coursing through her body. She could feel her muscles tense for the impact of the floor, and a small cry escaped her lips when she hit something.

But it wasn't the floor.

Mikan gasped and opened her eyes as Natsume wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to her feet. She felt his warm breath on her neck, his steady arms keeping a firm hold on her body, and the protective aura around him. She felt safe in his arms. But he immediately recoiled his arms and stifled a cough before glaring at the much satisfied Narumi.

"Very good! Excellent job, Natsume!" He squealed. "Are you all right, Mikan-chan?"

The brunette just nodded, her face flushed in a thousand shades of red as she stared at her shoes as if they were the greatest invention of mankind.

"Good. Let's try that one more time!"

* * *

The trio was walking—err, trudging back up the stairs and into Narumi's office; Natsume had just refused to take the next 'trust test', which involved blindfolding Mikan and allowing her to act as chauffer and set her on the loose in the bustling, accident-prone streets of Tokyo as he gave out driving instructions – it was just way too risky, and he couldn't trust Mikan behind the wheel. Childish airheaded nullifier and brand new white Porsche (courtesy of Narumi Anjo) just didn't mix.

"Are you even a licensed psychologist?" the fire Alice raised. The blonde laughed, and nodded. "Of course, I am, Natsume-kun!"

"I don't believe you; I bet you're just using your Alice. Where's your PhD?"

"It's upstairs. I can assure you, Natsume-kun, I am a certified, licensed, professional Alice Academy-graduated Alice psychologist!" He declared with an air of pride. "You believe me, don't you, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan just giggled. "Yeah, I do." Narumi exclaimed happily.

They reached the office, and Narumi showcased the row of diplomas on his desk. "Enough proof, Natsume-kun?" He smiled slyly as he watched Natsume grunt. "I'll take that as a yes."

He ushered the two to sit down once again, and he took out his notepad. "Okay, this will be the last portion of our session, and I have a three o'clock appointment coming up!" He said before putting on a firm face. "A tit for tat, question and answer!" He grinned before starting and the boy rolled his eyes. "Now, when I ask you a question, I want you to answer like you would have had you gone to consult a different person. Okay?"

The blonde shuffled a few question cards before looking up to them. "Where did you two meet?" he read aloud, a wide smile growing on his face.

"You should know the answer to that." Natsume replied.

The brunette rolled her eyes before answering, "Alice Academy. See, this guy here was trying to escape, and Narumi-sensei beat the crap outta him. I was horrified; I mean, you looked so nice, sensei, and then I see you torturing this innocent –cough- err, whatever, boy, with a… bean whip! I honestly thought you were a perverted freak, but don't worry! That assumption was cleared right away." Mikan smiled.

"And then I ran up to him to see if he was okay, obviously not, and then he," she paused to scowl at Natsume, "glared at me." Her eyes remained staring boldly at his face, and he smirked.

"And that's how we met." She finished, flashing a smile at Narumi.

"I see. Any comments, Natsume-kun?"

"You forgot the part where I stole your under-" "Pervert." Mikan cut him off and glared, but smiled cheekily as a blush rushed to her face. A playful smirk made its way to Natsume's mouth, and he chuckled. Just then, the atmosphere seemed to lighten, and Narumi sighed in relief.

"Next question: how'd you become friends? I'm sure that it wasn't easy for you, Mikan-chan, to break off Natsume-kun's cold exterior." Narumi added humorously. Mikan scoffed in mock frustration and put a hand to her forehead, circling her temples in a smooth motion.

"It was tough, sensei; he was playing so hard to get! The fact that he didn't like me at first made it harder for me to fit in and to make matters worse, I was the number one enemy in the whole class!" she hollered, chortling lightly.

"You had this… stupid smile on your face all the time. I wanted to bite your head off." Defended Natsume, shaking his head.

"You were so… annoying. After all that you've gone through – well, with what I'd put you through, really," he smirked at that, "I'd thought you'd pull out. But you didn't. And you just kept smiling! It drove me nuts…"

"It was even harder for me! Once you think you've got him, you're dead wrong, because he reverts back to his cold, introverted self. Like that time during my first, err, last dance, when you were isolating yourself from the whole of humanity, and I found you in the forest. That was when you first called me by my name…" Mikan had trailed off at this point, the smile on her face melting as she heaved a nostalgic sigh.

"You told me not to.. you… you said that I didn't need to… you were… suffering, and you didn't let me help. You didn't.. want me to know." She started to stutter, breaking the smooth atmosphere. "Why didn't you tell me?" she bit back a sob.

The boy's eyes softened and he made a move to reach for her hand, grasping it tightly in his. She looked up to meet his eyes, her own pleading for an answer. "I reckon you'd know that by now." He whispered softly, hesitation evident in his voice.

"I want a direct answer from you." She simply stated, tears forming in her brown irises. Natsume sighed in frustration.

"I guess I… I didn't think that…" he hesitated and groaned. "I didn't want to drag you into my mess. I didn't want anyone else to help me, only to take my place and suffer. I… didn't, I never wanted that." He said, and after a moment's worth, he faced her with all the courage he could muster to look into her eyes. "And so I took matters into my own hands, not yours or anyone else's." Mikan wasn't satisfied.

"But you were dying!" she exclaimed. "You were dying, and you didn't care how that would… hurt Ruka, hurt Hotaru, or Iinchou or Narumi-sensei or Permy, how it would hurt me!" she wailed, sobbing frantically.

"Now, why would Imai ever be hurt by me?" At that, Mikan laughed in between sobs. All the while, Narumi had been watching this emotional exchange, and he heaved a breath.

"I think that's enough. Take a few minutes to compose yourselves, okay?" He said before turning back to his cards. Mikan wiped her tears hastily, and Natsume squeezed her hand for reassurance. She muttered a quiet 'thanks', and he pressed his lips to her hair. She sighed and smiled weakly at Narumi before nodding.

"Okay, question number three: what's your favorite color and why?"

* * *

"Natsume, do you love me?" Mikan asked boldly, just as Narumi-sensei had told her to say. The boy in question smirked.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't, now would I?" he stated. Mikan rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile at his blunt answer. "Good point." She murmured.

"And you trust me?" she asked again. He nodded in reply. It was her time to smirk as she added, "But you don't trust me behind the wheel?" he shook his head and she laughed. Narumi smiled at the two.

"Do you promise to spend more time with me? And I mean, literally, no soccer, or whatever. Just you and me and sweet summer, okay?"

"Who's summer?" he said with a smirk, and Mikan sighed.

"Okay, guys, time's up." Narumi called. He scrawled down a few notes before proceeding to hug Mikan; Natsume was already heading for the door.

"Thanks so much, sensei. You've helped a lot." She whispered, adding an extra squeeze.

"I'm going to miss you, Mikan-chan! Be sure to take care of Natsume-kun, and put him on a leash if necessary." He hollered, and Natsume shot him a painful glare.

"Oh, I wouldn't, he's just very loyal." Mikan smirked and waved at the pheromone Alice as Natsume ushered her out the door.

"Well, that was nice, wasn't it?" she said, and Natsume shrugged. "It wasn't that bad." He muttered.

"Rest assured, Narumi-sensei makes a good counselor, doesn't he?" she smiled. The boy shook his head. "I still think he used his pheromones on us…" Mikan laughed.

And the couple walked happily down the street, Mikan feeling much more appreciated, and Natsume? Well, he's just Natsume. But that's what makes everything right.

And so that ends our story here. There's never a happy ever after, and I've got them scheduled for another appointment at the shrink. So until then, bask in summer bliss, lovebirds. You've got another thing coming.

* * *

**I enjoyed writing that. XD Natsume and Mikan may be a bit OOC, but that's how it rolls. Updates will be coming up, since it's summer here, and I hope I can satisfy all you GA fans.**

**Review for a free hug? And I worked really hard on this one too.**


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